October 06, 2012

A piece in today's Corriere (print only), The Importance of the Voice, references Leo Nucci's opinion on the whole Daniel-Day-Lewis-as-Lincoln-vocal-polemic. In the Spielberg-directed film, Lewis affects an auto-toned, mid-pitch tenor that contrasts the general preconception that the sixteenth American president matched a deep baritone to his +6 foot tall frame.

"Verdi raises the voice of the baritone, in the tessitura, and lowers that of the tenor and in a certain sense they're put on the same level and we always think that, Mozart aside, the tenor was almost always the protagonist. But all these years, I've greatly thought about what makes the baritone voice so special: from Nabbuco to I Due Foscari, from Macbeth to Luisa Miller, and Rigoletto, and Germont in Travata -- for Verdi, it's the voice of authority. The voice of fathers. The voice of calm. The voice that as children, we heard in the arms of our fathers, right next to his heart."

"Naturally the americans had attributed a baritone voice to Lincoln, the father of the nation -- in the sense that a century later than the founding fathers of the united states he was the father of multiracial America. The acuto, there's nothing to do, it's petulant. I think about certain popes: what a disadvantage for Benedict XVI not to have that nice warm tone of his predecessor!"

"When I was a kid, know who my idols were? Not the great opera legends but Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby, the father of all of us baritones. And at the theater? Gassman was my hero, another great baritone voice. Like Albertazzi. As a Catholic and thinking about a reader of the bible, I never lost a single comment from the sacred texts of Cardinal Ravasi: a super-learned scholar, sure. And baritone voices are so fascinating. It gives me a sense of calm."

When Lincoln opens in Italy in February 2013, he'll most likely be dubbed in gravely baritone, just like Tom Selleck's whine was knocked two octaves lower for the Italian-dubbed Magnum P.I. We're still feeling it.

January 20, 2010

Leo Nucci's and James Conlon's "Rigoletto" currently at la Scala, hasn't just earned a huge 9-minute ovation at the end of the premiere a few nights ago (as reported on Opera Chic): Corriere della Sera's chief critic -- usually very hard to please, and many big names in the business carry the scars to prove it -- unusually hails Nucci's and Conlon's work as "unforgettable". Conlon, writes Corriere,

"speaks perfect Italian, and he ruthlessly chases the «parola scenica» that singers nowadays tend to overlook... a Rigoletto such as this, under Conlon's baton, is unforgettable. He is an authoritative maestro, and manages to repair, for the time being, Scala's orchestral sound, and he makes it shine -- from strings to brass. He has a perfect understanding of the dramatic relationship between moments of different intensity. He's fluent in the interpretive tradition the way conductors of the old school used to be fluent. His control of the score is steely, and we hear that from the beginning -- he elegantly conducts the archaic dances of the opening scene... Conlon is one of the maestri who deserve to appear every year here"

Nucci? Well, according to the Milanese daily,

"if he's Rigoletto, the night's success is guaranteed: he is a good, humble man, witty and a scholar of acoustics: he radiates a sort of charisma that somehow makes the entire cast sing at their best".

January 16, 2010

Last night at la Scala, the opening night of Rigoletto, conducted by James Conlon with Leo Nucci as the giullare, whipped the audience into a frenzy of a final nine-minute ovation for the singer -- it was Nucci's 440th career performance of the part -- and the American conductor. If opera, like baseball, had a Hall of Fame, Nucci -- who's so humble he insists not to be addressed as maestro, even if he deserves the honor more than many, many conductors -- would be a first-ballot inductee .

«In the past I seconded an interpretive tradition that was then very popular, and I made the mistake of approaching this opera in a Romantic manner: but theater is life lived in every moment, and the actors must always look for that truth, careful not to overact... Over the years, over 400 performances, my understanding of the character has evolved, I tried to understand his spirit more, probing deeply: it takes patience, it takes work in rehearsal».

Nucci, who still studies on his facsimile of Verdi's autograph score, add, surprisingly, that for all his Rigoletto love, Nucci thinks that the perfect Verdi opera is... Macbeth:

«L'opera perfetta. On stage I'm always relaxed, because I know Verdi never wrote one note that wasn't just right. Not even his fortissimo drowns out your voice».

As someone who has enjoyed the privilege of basking in the art of Signor Nucci -- a humble man, he does not want to be addressed as "maestro" -- Opera Chic can only say, if you haven't heard him sing Rigoletto, you missed out on one of the (few) absolutely great, history-making performers of our time.

March 25, 2009

There are artists -- very few of them, unfortunately, but their being such rare wonders is also a large part of their appeal -- who set standards for all the rest, who show you how it's done; Michael Jordan dunking, Tiger Woods swinging, Paul Newman smiling, Marilyn Monroe walking in high heels.

Not only it's a clichè to say that they're worth the price of admission -- it's also incorrect. They're worth more -- they're priceless (even if la Scala, with its insane -- especially in this deep recession -- price policy is approaching the literally priceless level, in a bad way -- but we'll discuss this in another post).

Because the other night's premiere of I Due Foscari at la Scala was an example of this phenomenon. The playbill read like this:

Opera Chic had bought her ticket for this underwhelming Verdi opera randomly in the middle of Scala's disappointing 2008/09 season essentially to have the privilege, once again, to hear Leo Nucci sing. By far the best Italian opera baritone since maestro Cappuccilli's retirement, Nucci, past 60, still has the control, the power, the sheer dramatic understanding of the role that make him a unique artist.

Even in a far from perfect production such as this one -- the recycled from a few seasons ago Lievi staging, a cast that kept changing, with original conductor Carlo Montanaro replaced by Nello Santi who pulled out in weird circumstances, and finally, Ranzani; soprano Svetla Vassileva replaced by Manon Feubel.

February 27, 2009

La Scala's "I Due Foscari" that opens on March 24 was supposed to have IMG's Carlo Montanaro as the conductor; but Montanaro won't be there next month, though (Opera Chic leaves to the reader the answer to the question whether the fiasco of his Traviata last season at la Scala has anything to do with this).

La Scala then announced Nello Santi as Montanaro's replacement; and as of today they still have Santi as the conductor on their website page for I Due Foscari. The choice made OC very happy -- Maestro Santi is a seasoned, excellent Verdi conductor.

But Opera Chic bets her new Costume National stilettos that Maestro Santi won't be there on March 24. Apparently due to "creative differences" over the choice, of all people, of the second-cast soprano to relieve lead Svetla Vassileva of her duties for a couple nights.

Opera Chic would never suggest that the young soprano in question also has a father who is a seasoned, excellent Verdi conductor.

Whatevs!

Anyway: another Italian conductor, younger than Santi, Opera Chic bets, will replace the replacement in that august pit.

(the photo above: Lee Friedlander's "New York", 1963)

+++update+++

La Scala miracolously -- and discreetly -- sent out a press release in the early evening, Stefano Ranzani replaces Nello Santi, no reason given.

October 16, 2008

A couple years ago, Opera Chic was very impressed -- but not surprised -- to learn, watching a documentary about the great baritone Leo Nucci, that Nucci -- despite having sung Rigoletto about 500 times in his career -- routinely goes back to his facsimile copy of Verdi's manuscript, to study it again. Because as he put it, "it's just like Shakespeare, no matter how well you think you know him, every time you go back you simply discover new things you did not know were there, new accenti you hadn't noticed, new subtle but really important nuances that manifest themselves the more you study the score".

And it's very fitting that, last week in Corriere della Sera, the always humble Nucci, interviewed right after his triumphant performances at Verdi Festival in Parma, shied away from the self-important megalomaniac attitude of so many of his -- usually less talented colleagues:

«I can't stand singers who want to be addressed as "Maestro": there is only one Maestro, the conductor, even if directors nowadays have tried -- laughably -- to coopt this title. We singers should be addressed with the old dear "Commendatore" that people used to greet the singers who used to hang out at the old cafès in the Galleria, waiting for someone to notice them, while bragging with similarly underemployed colleagues that they had been cast in operas in Buenos Aires, Hamburg, New York! (When in fact they would consider themselves lucky if they got cast for two nights in Legnano*)»

* Legnano is a small town in the Milan suburbs.

But then, as Corriere's critic explains, Nucci is someone who at 65 considers the study of the science of acoustics as his main hobby, and "quotes Pythagoras, Gioseffo Zarlino, Rameau and their successors as if he carried their writings in his pocket".

A friend of Opera Chic once asked the great Carlo Bergonzi what's the most important piece of advice he could give to a young singer, and the great man simply said: "Don't yell: let the music speak".

OC's friend asked Nucci the same question, and he answered: "Study, study, study. Then listen to your heart". And learn.

April 02, 2008

As we reported last night, Leo Nucci got sick in the middle of Macbeth and had to be replaced by his understudy; Violeta Urmana had a bad night as Lady Macbeth; she made several mistakes, and she was quite roundly booed at the end of the night.

The problem is, la Scala had already done Graham Vick's Macbeth a few years ago, with Riccardo Muti on the podium (now it's Kazushi Ono) and a healthy Leo Nucci as Macbeth. Maybe some productions are better left un-recycled.

(Not to mention if it's true that la Scala is seriously grooming Urmana to do la Scala's first Norma in a generation next year, we might be in a lot of trouble)

April 01, 2008

Leo Nucci in Macbeth was one of the rare occasion this season where la Scala had actually cast a real maestro as the lead in an important production -- Graham Vick's oldie but still disquieting staging with that big ominous cube that premiered there under Muti's reign, also with Nucci -- and they lose him on opening night mid-production due to flu-like symptoms.

A few minutes ago during intermission for Macbeth at la Scala, it has been announced that an "indisposed" Nucci would not go on with the performance, and understudy Ivan Inverardi would pick up where he left.

Opera Chic's hugest get-well-soon to Maestro Nucci, greatest Verdi baritone of this post-Cappuccilli age; and big props -- no matter how he sang -- to Inverardi who had to step to the plate in an emergency. More details tomorrow.

March 15, 2008

Classica broadcast via satellite a live transmission from the Thursday night performance at La Scala of Puccini's Il Trittico. OC endured it once again so she could bring you legal shots of the performance via her Canon camera and Samsung plasma. Chailly's conducting remained heavenly even through the canning and compression of live sound to media, although Team Ronconi's odd set designs appeared much darker on screen. The key singers, of course, were much more emotive, with Suor Angelica's Barbara Frittoli even admitting in a post-performance interview that the music moved her so much that she was crying just before one of her arias. suffering for art and all.

The performance was hosted by Classica tv host Gianandrea Gavazzeni's son, he of oddly-composed facial hemispheres, who coolly interviewed both Barbara Frittoli and Leo Nucci (Nucci in full costume and makeup and fake nose, relaxed as a lamby only minutes before getting on stage for his Schicchi) in his II ordine palco between intermissions. There was also a small pre-recorded piece on both Maestro Chailly (who masterfully dissected the evolution of Puccini's style, more on this in a later post) and director Luca Ronconi.

Oddly enough, it was also the first out of the previous three performances where Mariana Lipovšek as Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica wasn't booed loudly at the curtain call. Ronconi didn't show up at curtain call. no boos? a weird coincidence, since the loggione had booed after every previous performance (they didn't like the staging). were they absent? diplomatically silent? good faith? bad? hmmmmm.

Puccini's Trittico will be rebroadcast on Classica a few times next month: April 19 (9pm), 21 (8am), 23 (1:30pm), 27 (10:15am), and 29 (11am). Dayuuum.

OC made a niiiice leetel photo album of a few dozen screenshots, which you can enjoy here. Below are a few of the highlights.

January 31, 2008

Our dear irreplaceable Maestro Leo Nucci, we learn thanks to fellow Nucci fangirl Opéra Bouffe, the other night celebrated on stage the 400th performance of Rigoletto of his extraordinary career. In Piacenza, where the audience went so ape that he had to give THREE encores of Vendetta, Sì, Tremenda Vendetta.

To the greatest Italian opera baritone (DUH!) working today, and one of the greatest in history, our humble, loving grazie, Maestro.

June 23, 2007

Opera Chic freely admits her status of hawpless fangirl when it comes to maestro Leo Nucci, the best Verdi baritone working now (sorry Maestro Bruson we *heart* you too!), and possibly the best Italian opera baritone, too (he kills in Puccini and Rossini, too).

He's too much of a gentleman, but whenever immigration agents at passport control ask him his profession, he should simply answer "I show'em how it's done". Maestro Nucci is now showing how it's done in Verona, at the beautiful Arena, singing in the warm night Summer air his Nabucco, the season's opening, last night. Director Denis Krief explained that Nucci, who enters the stage riding an actual horse (the beauty of open-air opera, the unfortunate animal would probably stink up an actual theatre's stage so bad it isn't even funnay) took daily lessons to learn how to ride the horse.

We're not sure about the pajamas-like costumes, kind of apocalyptic Jedi-bathrobe-chic dyed in desaturated ghreys and brawns, but the Denis Krief production of the Verdi blockbuster seems to be pretty cool, Franco Zeffirelli's anathema notwithstanding.

The only semi-rational decision, then, is to answer most of the interesting ones here (and the ones we can answer without going to jail), instead of answering privately all our readers who took the trouble to write.

Ah, the usual question: conspiracy or not? Just like it happened for the Alagna fiasco at la Scala (the question then was: did the loggionisti plan their protest in advance?)! Our (educated, after asking around) guess is this: the applause for Bruson is genuine, the man is very popular, and his long career and his stature are key to the standing ovation he enjoyed. So, the very long ovation is congruent; so many great singers enjoy them here in Italy and elsewhere: it really seems genuine.

But, in all fairness, Gheorghiu's main points -- that 1) encores just aren't done, period, especially by a singer who's not the main character of the opera, and 2) that Gelmetti should have gone ahead with the score instead of leading the orchestra in the dreaded (by Angela) bis -- do indeed make sense. And it's obvious that, had Gelmetti decided so, the encore just would not have happened. Instead, we know for a fact that Gheorghiu received a big surprise there. Having said this, it's highly unlikely -- and frankly way too Machiavellian -- to imagine that Bruson and Gelmetti devilishly egged her on just to make her lose her plot and leave the production. It certainly wasn't the most polite gesture, and complaining about it afterwards, even forcefully, would have made perfect sense on her part. Going so far as to leave her already very short commitment in Rome (just two shows) is, of course, entirely another. As we wrote yesterday, Gelmetti is not big on coddling divas anyway.

WHY IS THE OPERA DI ROMA SWEEPING THE INCIDENT UNDER THE (RED) CARPET?

Because they don't have anything -- repeat: anything -- to gain from starting a very public beef with Gheorghiu. The production had already lost Alagna and Filianoti, the big emphasis was on Zeffirelli's production anyway (the essentially very traditional -- if a bit tacky -- staging has actually been met with very high interest by other opera houses around the world, so expect to see Frengo's 8th Traviata in an opera house near you very very soon; after all Zeffirelli is still the go-to-guy, even at 84, whenever a General Manager does not want to push the avant-garde button too much and wants to give a classic, old-skool, crowd-pleasing staging to his or her audience).

Gheorghiu -- and this is a paradox, of course -- at least gave them the chance to milk a lot of additional press for la prima. They've been better off with one Angela than no Angela: she knows it, the management knows it. Neither is raising a stink about it -- except of course for the audience who's been showing up the other night expecting Angela and finding another singer instead. Gheorghiu's been smarting enough not to storm off the stage in the middle of a scene the way her husband did in Milan -- hence ensuring no lawsuits, no worldwide attention. Did she ruin her standing in Rome? Of course. Not that she particularly cares. Are other opera houses around the world worried that her tantrums are getting worse? Of course they are. And that's what leads us to the next question.

WHAT'S GOING ON AT LA SCALA? SHE'S SUPPOSED TO APPEAR THERE IN TRAVIATA ON JULY 3rd, RIGHT?

That she is supposed to do, yes: it'd be her debut in an opera at la Scala. On May 4 the tickets for that show -- and the replicas -- will be available at la Scala and on their website. Is she going to show up? The good ones (i.e., the ticket scalpers who'd get stuck with a bunch of no-Angela tkts if they buy them in bulk and then she doesn't show up) are probably going to bet against it, at this point. And la Scala, only a week ago, has hired another soprano, Elena Mosuc -- there will be three of them (the third one's Ilvina Lungu, who replaced Angela the other night in Rome, it's a small opera world).

The situation here is very different from Rome: this Traviata, unlike Rome's, has simply not been hyped by la Scala -- whose big sellers, this season, have been the Chailly/Zeffirelli unlucky Aida, the Gatti/Lenhoff Lohengrin, the Harding/Bondy Salome, Barenboim's Eroica and his forthcoming piano recital, the forthcoming Jenufa, and the many Gergiev, Temirkanov, Boulez philharmonic concerts. The Traviata is a July show with a strong cast already (Alvarez, Nucci, Kauffmann), a strong director (Liliana Cavani), a strong conductor (Maazel), strong costumes and sets (Ferretti/Pescucci). The show can take the "hit" of a Gheorghiu defection.

And if, as we all think will happen, the loggionisti will send her a message for her husband, since he didn't leave them the time to, last December, well, la Scala can take it. On the one hand, Gheorghiu -- a tough, tough lady, mind you, certifiably capable of charming the socks off of many men if she decides to amp up the sexy, but whose well-developed contemptous gaze can curdle milk in a few seconds -- is hardly afraid of the loggionisti, that unruly bunch (even if she lacks Callas's superhero-like ability to simply stare them down into submission with that steely gaze of hers). But she may very well decide that it just isn't worth the effort. Especially since a certain Mirella Freni was literally booed off the stage in this theatre when she dared show up and sings "Maria's role". Most people at la Scala we spoke to think that she appreciates the challenge. They also doubt she'll show up. Officially, nothing has changed: she's committed to the show, and she's supposed to appear sometime in mid-to-late June for rehearsals.

WHY U SUCH A H8R??? ANG3LA RAWKS!!!111

Opera Chic is *so* not chugging on the Angela Haterade it isn't even funnay -- we've just been telling our readers what various friends, contacts (one of them called Angela's 1994 turn in the London Traviata "an apparition", so we're not asking Angela-haterz here) and acquaintances have explained to us about her walkout and general behavior, in Rome and elsewhere. OC herself has paid good money last year to see Angela in her la Scala recital, which she has enjoyed (well, not that much, it was just ok). OC thinks Angela is the less talented half of the family, too. But the problem is her behavior AND her recent decline in vocal performance -- in a pretty ruthless business such as opera, you cannot sustain both for long. Just ask Kathy Battle (a much superior artist to Angela to begin with), whose antics were endured by conductors and opera house management as long as her voice remained crystal clear -- as soon as she started to have problems, her behavior became suddendly reason enough to cut her, and she's been (sadly, for us fans) spending time with the rapidly decomposing corpse of her career ever since (we have an awesome Battle Tantrum story we'll share some other time, it's too good to waste as an offtopic aside).

January 16, 2007

Last month, with the Alagna imbroglio, we all witnessed the dark, snarky side of the audience at Teatro alla Scala –- the "Roman Arena" (Alagna’s words) -- that smells a singer's blood and then goes for the jugular, booing and harassing some of the biggest names in the business (past victims include in recent years Fleming, Pavarotti and Ricciarelli, and in more distant times even Freni and Callas).

A few hours ago, Opera Chic has instead witnessed the other side of La Scala: a demonstration of pure exaltation and praise for a beniamino (idol) of the audience: Baritone Leo Nucci, who celebrated tonight his thirty years of opera at La Scala, (trent'anni alla Scala) gave an impressive, unusual recital: the "greatest opera hits"; arias plucked from the various operas that he has sung at Teatro alla Scala since 1977 (in the early 1970s, solista Maestro Nucci, displaying his humbleness and humility, decided to go back to study again singing technique and fundamentals, and joined the Coro del Teatro alla Scala for five years...a decision that he still considers key to his success as a singer, and frankly, a decision that should inspire some arrogant and ill-prepared young singers of these starstruck times). Message!

Tonight at Teatro alla Scala the Leo Nucci cult was in full effect at his recital di canto. Did I forget to mention the sing-a-long that Nucci staged during the bis? No?! Well, more on that later. First, my wardrobe: I wore a creamy white, high collar Miu Miu shirt, with a vintage grey Brigatti cashmere sweater. Covering my bottom was a Romeo Gigli pleated dark purple skirt, a pair of black Costume National boots, and my Fay black windbreaker. Lissner would be proud.

I arrived at the theater to an almost full house, and a sign on the placard outside of the theater declaring that the performance was completely sold-out. Nucci clearly has quite a following in Italy, and I was officially indoctrinated to the Nucci-phenomenon last year, during the night of the worst snowstorm to hit Milan since the late 1960s. The night was January 26, 2006, and I had a ticket to attend the La Scala Rigoletto with Maestro Riccardo Chailly at the helm.

Between tenor Piotr Beczala's insulting Duca di Mantova (his voice fully cracked two times during the performamce, once during La donna è mobile) and soprano Andrea Rost's weak and unimpressive Gilda, Leo Nucci's powerful interpretation of Rigoletto was the only thing (aside from Chailly's superb conducting) that kept afloat the entire performance. Exiting La Scala late that night under a white blanket of snow, Nucci's tormented Rigoletto haunted me with resounding sadness.

Since Nucci doesn't normally perform in recital format (his last one was twelve years ago), the house was packed, with a crowd that is better suited for an opening night of an opera. I've seen a handful of recitals at La Scala during this first year that I've been here (including Waltraud Meier, Angela Gheorghiu, José van Dam, and Renée Fleming) and the crowds are never as big as they are for the opera...but Nucci's fan club is apparently humongous. Lucky for all the Nucci fans, there were at least four video cameras stationed throughout the palchi, so this recital is sure to make it to DVD.

Sitting in the Presidents Box at the center third palco was none other than Maestro Carlo Bergonzi and his wife, Adele. His two sons were behind in Busseto to tend restaurant for the night. Bergonzi enthusiastically applauded Nucci's arias, and even acknowledged the baritone with a few standing ovations. (In the image below, Bergonzi is front-row left.)

The selected program was thorough, filled with greatest baritone hits ev4r. Classical Gold. Classical Thunder. Nucci started with an animated version of Largo al factotum from Rossini's Barbiere. He began fully warmed-up, in great shape, full of energy, and really hammed-up the performance. Nucci was extremely effective in his acting, emoting, and idiosyncrasies, that one almost felt that he was still within the reaches of the opera, transported in scene. It superseded most recitals that I've witnessed.

Although the program was basically flawless, from the first half there were quite a few delicacies: Nucci's Perfidi! All'Anglo..Pietà, rispetto, onore from Verdi's Macbeth was stunning. Another contender was Alzati!...Eri tu from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera that put other baritones to shame.

Almost all of the entire second half was stellar. Puccini's Era uguale la voce?...Ah! Vittoria from Gianni Scicchi was great fun. His two Verdi selections from after the intermission (Tutto e' deserto...Il balen del suo sorriso from Il trovatore, and Cortigiani, vil razza dannata from Rigoletto) were excellent and lovely. After the balen del suo sorriso, there were shouts of bis bis, as many wanted him to repeat the magic of that specific Verdi aria. At one point, there was a clear scream from the audience of, "Sei come Cappuccilli" -- The ultimate compliment, "You are like [Piero] Cappuccilli." And the audience reacted accordingly. There was a constant stream of bravo, bravissimo, and endless applause. It was intense, and almost exhausting the energy that pervaded throughout the theater.

Then came his encore, four selections total, interrupted by witty quips and fluid banter with the audience. He presented himself as an interactive singer. His first was an aria from Verdi's La traviata, Germont's Di Provenza il mar, il suol. He joked that he was practicing for his July appearance, and accordingly plugged his upcoming 2007 performances of La Traviata at Teatro alla Scala on July 17 and 21, where he will sing Germont in the highly anticipated Maazel/Vargas/Gheorghiu production.

The second bis was Nemico della Patria from Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier, which was outstanding (btw, here is a YouTube clip of Piero Cappuccilli singing the same aria). He joked that he would be auditioning for a slot next year, as the Giordano opera is planned to be in the La Scala line-up for 2008. ha ha.

The third encore I was familiar with, but just couldn't peg because Nucci launched right into it without any banter or commentary.

The last song was literally staged as a sing-a-long. Karaoke with Nucci. He introduced the selection, and asked the audience to help him out. He launched into an endearing, popular song by the name of Mamma, a hit from Beniamino Gigli in 1940. This Americana wasn't familiar with the traditional Italian canzone, but was nevertheless entertained by the loyal audience participation, who sang collectively, and quite vociferously during the chorus.

All in all, I would buy from again from this seller. Please sign me up for the newsletter. Voted 10.